Orion&Velia
by FDSC-Trigg-L
Summary: Taking place after the Inheritance, a young boy destined to be a dragon rider must face the most strogest villian of all. How can you face an enemy when evil is on his side?
1. Orion

**Orion**

Orion lay in a pile of hay, his head sticking out, looking up at the unfinished beams that supported a thin and patched roof. He was around the age of fourteen and had dark black hair with bangs that barely went past his eyes. He was for the most part thin except for some strong muscles in his arms and legs. He was able to walk fast and run swiftly without making a noise. Every feature about him was suited for a thief except for his bright green eyes that shown in the darkness. And at all times he wore a tunic patched and worn from travel, a bow and a quiver lashed around his back and a dagger strung to his leg.

A chicken ran by him as he heard foot steps out side of the small stable. Beatrice stood in the doorway as another chick started to peck his stomach. He lifted his head up and waved it away.

"I need to go to Melan to get some more yarn, do you want to come?" Her voice was gentle and soft. Orion lifted himself up and brushed hay off his tunic.

"I can't, I still have to harvest the rest of the field before it starts to rain." She sighed, "You've been so busy since Herman left."

Orion shrugged, "Some one has to do it." He picked up a scythe and watched as Beatrice walked down the path. There was a soft boom as thunderclouds brewed overhead. The sun was nearly setting, casting an eerie glow over the darkening field. He started walking at a fast pace towards the field.

Herman was Beatrice's wife. They lived on a plot of land close to the city of Melan. It was a resemblance of a small farm that needed the roof to be patched up and some work could also be done around the windows. It only provided a small amount of produce but it was enough. Just about last week Herman left and went to visit one his friends who was a blacksmith. He should have been back two days ago. They weren't worried about him; he always had a habit of showing up late.

Orion could still remember the time when he first met them six months ago. Until then, he roamed the streets as an orphan, never knowing of his heritage. Ever since then he had been helping out at the farm in thanks for their gratitude.

Beatrice came running up the path just as it started to rain. Orion quickly hid all the tools in the shed and ran up to her. Around them the storm was taking its toll. Trees swayed in the wind and branches were thrown to the ground. They were only a few feet away from the porch when an icy sheet of rain came down on them. In a matter of seconds Orion's clothes were drenched and he was shivering. "I have a favor to ask of you. " Beatrice's gentle voice rang in Orion's ears as water hit the roof with force. "Otis ran outside right before the storm. Could you go get him? Lighting flashed outside and thunder boomed periodically. He looked out in dismay. It seemed like there was flood.

"Yeah I'll go", he glumly replied.

"Thank you Orion!" Otis was a cat that they kept to keep out mice; he was also a nice family pet. He would be happy to save the cat again if it meant getting wet. He retrieved his bow, quiver, and pack. He was still learning how to hunt game, but if any showed up, he wanted to opportunity. He quickly stepped off the porch and the rain hit Orion like an icy coat of wind, drenching him from head to toe. He walked close to the house, trying to block the rain from hitting his face. Otis usually went behind the garden, so he decided to start his search there. He looked for around twenty minutes and came upon a stream.

_That's weird; I never saw this behind the house_. The rain drops hit the water like small meteors smashing into the earth, sending water out into the open. He looked in the stream and saw his reflection being destroyed by ripples of water. He looked closer, and saw an oval shaped stone lying on the ground, perfectly straight. He reached in and pulled it out. It was a bright white color, like snow during a cold morning. He looked back at the house. Smoke plummeted into the sky and he could see a soft amber glow through the trees. As he looked at it, a horrible thought entered his mind


	2. Enemies

**Enemies**

Without thinking, Orion pocketed the stone and ran back toward the house. Branches and needles whipped at his face as he ran through trees and bushes. Overhead the smoke was rising above the trees, transforming the hillside into an even darker and dreary place.

Orion was close now, as he could feel the heat against his shivering body. Without warning, he tripped over an overturned root and fell to the muddy ground. He looked up, before him and ablaze, was the farm. The roof was caved in and wood was falling into the house. One section of the wall was completely blown off as if there was an explosion. Fire crawled all along the house, burning the foundation into ashes. There was a small crack and another section of the roof collapsed as a beam broke.

Orion covered his eyes as the wind swept smoke and ambers over him. The thickening rain sizzled as it hit the blazes. He coughed and gagged when the acrid smoke filled his lungs. There was no possible way that Herman and Beatrice were alive and he knew it. He fell to his knees and tears filled his eyes. The fire was spreading onto the trees, surrounding him like a shield of fire.

A dark figure abruptly came from behind the house. It looked like a hooded man on a horse, but he had an inhuman sized hump on his back and he held a lit torch. Orion looked at him through the blurriness of his tears. All of his grief was replaced by anger. Flashes of revenge boiled inside of him. He got up and reached for his bow but it wasn't there.

_I must have left it by the stream. _The man merely laughed at Orion's attempt to arm himself. The sound itself was depraved of all human emotions. He felt colder even while in the icy rain, like all the beauty in life was drained from him. The man threw the torch into the fire and galloped away, leaving him in the middle of the blaze.

Orion turned around and dashed back towards the stream. He didn't know who, or what the man was but he just _had _to find his bow and track him down. The run to the stream didn't take him long, but it hurt. New cuts and bruises covered his burns as he crossed the small forest.

Sure enough he found his bow and picked it up. He was about to go back and chase the man when a buzzing noise filled his head. It felt like there was a fly inside of his head that he couldn't get rid of. Suddenly a ruby-colored lightning bolt shot through the trees and scraped his neck. Orion fell down, gasping for air. He clenched his wound and felt his skin burned. It got harder to breath and darkness gathered around him. His vision faded as he heard voices above him. He hung onto his conciseness with determination to kill his murderers. He let go of the feeling, and slipped away.

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Orion opened his eyes only to be greeted by blurriness. His throat felt dry and the cuts on his face stung. After it subsided, he looked up at his surroundings. The sky was still solid black but the rain died down into a drizzle. He sat up and a roar of pain rushed up to greet him. His body ached and he yearned for something to drink. In front of him, two rigid men were tampering with his pack. Alarmed, he got up and reached for his bow. To his surmise they took it, so he pulled out his dagger and approached them. They were taking his things.

_Those thieves! And, murderers!_ Without thinking and filled with rage, he ran towards them. The man on the right turned around and grabbed Orion by the wrist then swung him around so he was bending his arm. A sharp pain went through his elbow as he dropped the dagger. The other man picked it up and casually walked closer to them.

"Well well, what do we have here? Was our little prisoner trying to escape?"

"You murderers," Orion yelled. "You killed the closest thing I had to a family!" "It really wasn't our idea," the man replied. "But we liked doing it anyway." As cruel smile formed on his lips he turned around just as Orion kicked the other man behind him. There was a sharp snap as he hollered in pain. Orion swiftly jabbed the man in front of him and he fell over, dropping the dagger. He quickly picked it up and pointed it at his throat before he could even move.

"Alright please, please just don't kill me," he whimpered.

"Who are you," was Orion's only reply. Before he could answer, another tingling sensation filled his body. He jumped back just as a faster, sharper, black-colored lighting bolt hit the man in the side, exploding into a shockwave of energy that shoved him onto the ground..

Breathless, he panted for air as he got up. Numbness ached his body as he stood up. He looked around, the assassin, or whoever struck the man, was gone. He walked over to the body. It wasn't destroyed or blown into pieces, yet Orion was knocked back by an explosion of energy. He looked closer, the spot where the bolt hit was black and charred, but other than that, the rest of the body was unharmed. It was as if some of the energy in the bolt went into the body. That must have been what caused the death. He looked at the other man whose shin had broken. He had been struck too, but at the temple, he wasn't as fortunate.

Orion searched their items and took anything that was of value or use to himAs he rummaged through their items he found a small ruby. It was smaller than the other stone he found, but this one had a certain glow to it. It was the same color of the lighting bolt that almost struck him on the neck.

He pocketed the stone and stood there for a moment. Behind him was the only thing he knew as a family. If he left now looking for answers, he wouldn't be back for a long time. One thing for certain though, he did not want to look back at the wreckage. Whatever fate was bestowed upon him, he would have to overcome it to revenge his friends. Determined, he took off down a path that lead to Melan, a city close to his farm. If his murderer was to be living some where it would be around the city. As he started running down the path confusion and grief filled his mind. But through all of his emotions, one thing was still clear to him. He had enemies….


	3. Melan

**Melan**

The sky started to brighten overhead as Orion approached the city of Melan. He was eager to get there due to his fatigue and would have easily slept out in the forest if it wasn't for the fact that someone was trying to kill him.

He reached the front gate of Melan just as the first few rays of the sun hit the city. Old, yet sturdy looking walls surrounded the silent town. Sentries and archers were posted on top of watchtowers to look out for any signs of trouble. Nobody liked to talk about it, but everyone knew this year was more dreadful than the one before and things looked like they weren't getting any better. Every month there was at least one kind of kidnapping or attack and it kept getting worse. Rumors of bandits and thieves floated around the city until they became quit popular as to force out extra sentries to protect the city.

Two guards were posted at the front gate. They looked tired and dreary; they must have been on duty for the whole night. One of them stopped him before he entered the city.

"Halt. What be ya business in Melan," asked one of the guards. They both looked extremely tired and they each carried a pole arm.

"I'm here to buy some goods for my farm. My father was busy and he requested that I go get it for him." Orion thought it would be better if no one knew what happened. Right now as he felt like he couldn't trust anybody.

"So you live on a farm outside of town eh?"

"Yes sir," replied Orion solemnly. The man stared at him for a couple of seconds, yawned and said, "Alright then, it might be a good idea to wash your face though."

Puzzled, Orion walked past them and started looking for an Inn. He was only in Melan twice. Both times he went with Beatrice and helped her buy some goods. The last time they went they had some free time so she took Orion to the museum. He liked looking at all the different kinds of pictures. And he also loved reading the interesting tales of heroes and villains. But of all the stories and legends he heard of, dragon lore was his favorite. They fascinated him as he kept trying to learn more and more about them. Fantasies of riding dragons high in the air made time go by fast as he did chores at the farm. A hard knot formed in his throat as he thought of her.

"Hey watch it!" Shot back into focus, Orion jumped out of the way as a wagon almost ran him over. He looked around. The city seemed to be more dreary and dirty than the last time he visited. Everywhere around him were signs that people were having a tough time. Men were armed with daggers, some with bows and swords at their hips. The women hung on to their children and wouldn't let them wonder out of sight. But only few were out of their homes now. The streets wouldn't be the busiest until noon.

To the right of him was an abnormal sized building with a sign that said, Melan Inn. Above, smoke oozed out of a chimney into the fresh morning air. Orion opened the door and walked in. The interior of the Melan Inn was much more cozy and warm. There were tables and chairs littered on the right side of the room and a fire burned softly bringing warmth into the dining area. He noticed the service desk was also a bar, displaying several bottles of their finest liquor.

He approached the bar; the room was empty except for Orion and the man behind the counter.

"What it be?" the man asked.

"Actually, I was just wondering if you had a free room."

"Yeah we just got one yesterday, one bedroom, I assume."

"Yes," replied Orion. Talking to the man made him feel uncomfortable.

After he scribbled some things down he said, "First day is five coins and every day after that is one more.

Orion paid him and retreated up the stairs to his room. His legs grew tired as he clambered up the staircase. When he reached his door he opened it and went inside, threw his pack and bow onto the floor and dropped onto the bed. He didn't even bother undress. His room was pretty bare with a bed in the corner and a small shelf next to the wall. A basin filled with water was laid on the shelf. It wasn't fancy, but it was enough for anybody to live in. He couldn't believe it was only a couple of hours ago that his friends were taken away from him. It almost brought tears to his eyes, but the thought of chasing down their murderers kept him focused. The sun shined through the window as he dazed off and fell asleep.

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A joyful tune woke Orion as he lay in bed. He opened his eyes and squinted. When his eyes adjusted to the bright light, he got up and looked through his window. The sun was shining outside and people littered the streets. Excited he splashed his face with some water and was surprised to see soot come off his face. Feeling refreshed, he headed downstairs.

The dinner room was filled with chattering men and women, some smoked, ate, and played games. It felt like everyone was a lot happier. Orion walked up to the man behind the counter. "Do you know where I can get some cheap food?" The man stared at him and looked puzzled.

"There's a place right across from here. You can't miss it."

"Thanks," he replied. He still couldn't help but feel a little awkward around him. It fell strange to talk with him.

Orion walked outside and sure enough there was goods store right across the street. But this time people bustled and talked with friends by and in local stores. It was like the city transformed while he slept. The whole town seemed to be more alive. Down the street, music played and people danced. Kids chased each other and played games.

At the store he bought a piece of bread and cheese and ate it while listing to the entire jumble and laughing of the townspeople. While he ate he decided to explore the city today and look for answers tomorrow.

He walked into various stores and looked around. By mid noon he decided to walk down alleys as the streets started to get crowded.

After he finished looking in a jewelry shop, he took another path down an alley. A group of kids, (or what looked like a club) were standing around in a circle mumbling to each other. Interested, Orion walked closer and saw that a pair of them was sparring. They were each using two sticks that were crudely shaped as swords. Intriguing, yet none the least painful, Orion went closer for a better look. The two kids were roughly the same age as Orion. They each swung hammering blows but they couldn't block. So whenever the man on offense swung, the other person would just step backwards. It was a poor match to look at. After a couple of minutes the one with the faster steps won with a blow to the shoulder.

The group cheered and another kid walked into the middle of the circle. "Who wants to fight?" No one answered. "Anyone?" Everybody was still quite.

Orion walked up to one of the kids and whispered, "Why isn't anybody fighting him.

"That's Vincent," he replied, "every one loses against him." He walked through the crowd and pointed at Orion.

"You," he said, "fight me." He threw the stick at Orion. Surprised, he caught it and stepped into the circle. Vincent had dark red hair and bangs like his own. His eyes were blue and he wore strings around his wrists. He looked no older then him and he had the same kind of muscle structure, yet something told him he had more experience at sparring. He, at more than one time, swung some farm tools while playing, but he never sparred some one else. They started to walk in a circle.

"Why me?" asked Orion.

"Because, I haven't fought you yet, are you new?" They continued walking in a circle. Everything was deadly quite except the noise of the bustling town. Orion waited for a second before answering.

"Sort of."

"Do you live in Melan?" Before he could answer Vincent swung his stick at his neck. Orion ducked, sidestepped another attack and then swung at his legs. He parried the blow and they ended locking their swords with each other.

Frustrated, Orion said, "No." and shoved him onto the ground. The kids around them were chattering. Vincent got up and stared at him.

"So where do you live?" Orion didn't even bother answering and swung at his torso. Vincent blocked it, swung his stick around and launched it down over Orion's head. He moved at the last second and swung horizontally at Vincent's side, scratching up his torso. He backed away and clenched his stomach.

After a moment he said "best out of three." He swung his stick at Orion's head and changed direction hitting him on the side. Orion stumbled backwards and rubbed his side.

_It really does hurt… _They both swung at each other and went into another lock. Orion spun around and slashed Vincent's legs but lost balance and fell on his back. With a grunt he barely managed to block another attack at his body.

He quickly got up and swung vertically at his head. Vincent sidestepped and struck Orion on the back .He fell down, dropping his stick. He looked up at him as he pointed the end of his stick at his throat. His back ached with pain.

"The win goes to the victor." said Vincent and swung at Orion.

Pain seared through out the side of his head as he tried to get up. He looked at him with distaste.

"What was that for?" he screamed.

"I needed three hits to win." He said.

"Well you could've just tapped me on the stomach!"

Orion looked at his hand, it was all red and warm blood was dripping down his cheek.

"You cut me! You didn't have to swing that hard," Orion yelled even louder.

"I didn't swing that hard," said Vincent with a smirk on his face.

Orion glared at him "You ass, you used two hands!"

"Oh yea," he chuckled. "Well I almos-"The sound of his voice was cut off by a strange ringing sound. Orion looked around; he was the only one that heard it. Everything got blurry and the ringing increased with integrity. The next thing he knew, he was facing the ground with the taste of blood in his mouth.

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The side of Orion's head was freezing when he woke. He shivered and tried to sit up. Thoughts were replaced by pain as he roared in protest. Some one walked in front of him and sat down.

"Where am I?" He couldn't make things out from the blurriness.

"You're still in Melan." The voice sounded familiar. After a moment or two the pain subsided and Vincent was sitting in front of him.

Puzzled Orion asked "What happened?"

"Well," he had a smile on his face, "after I hit you; you past out and hit the ground. It looked like it hurt… Are you ok"

Orion cursed, "I swear, if I pass out one more time today-"

"Put this against your head." He handed Orion a bag of ice. He winced when he touched his cut but he knew it would stop the swelling.

"Why did you hit me so hard" he asked out of curiosity.

Vincent slightly reddened. "No one ever got that close to beating me. I guess I got kind of mad. Sorry about that."

Orion shrugged and looked up at the sky. "How long has it been?" he asked.

"Mid afternoon." You've been out for half an hour. His face grew more serious. "I've never met anyone like you. Where did you learn how to fight like that?"

Orion thought about it before answering, "I don't know, it all just came to me, if I really had to fight someone though, that would surely be the end of me." So was that your club over there?"

"That's what every ones calling it", he said with a shrug. "But I just started it not to long ago when I was bored. It helps the time go by."

After a while Orion yawned. His jaw hurt. "I have to go back."

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"Err, yeah. I'm staying at the Inn". He got up and almost losing his balance leaned against the wall for support.

Vincent started, "If you ever want to spar again, meet at the same alley at noon." He gave him one last look and then left.

The Inn wasn't very far away but Orion still had a tough time getting there. It felt like his frozen head was being split open. He lost his balance and fell down several times before he got there. The people of Melan too, looked like they were having a bad time. All the happiness was gone and no children or music played in the street. It was a sad picture to look at.

Orion opened the door to the Inn and wobbled inside. The dining room was empty just like the streets. He carefully walked up the steps of the staircase and reached his room and emptied the ice in his basin and sat on his bed. His eyes wandered around the room and lay rest on his pack. He retrieved the stones and laid them on the bed. The ruby shined beautifully while the white stone described itself without a touch. It was the color of sparkling snow during a lazy morning. The ruby was rough and coarse while the stone was the smoothest thing he ever felt, like it was man made. Unquestionably, the ruby held great power; he could feel it when he held it in the palm of his hands. He decided to try and find something interesting about them tomorrow.

As his eyelids got heavier he looked out the window. The sun was setting, revealing a different version of Melan. Glad that he was indoors; he undressed and fell into a deep sleep.


	4. Another Round of Dragon Lore

**Another Round of Dragon Lore**

Orion covered his face and adjusted his pack as a cold wind swept over the hills and into the streets of Melan sending a chill over its residents. He was in the city trying to find the museum but kept losing interest when his stomach grumbled due to an unfound breakfast.

A big yellow sign stretched out onto the street, blocking him from the sun. The museum was the biggest building he had ever seen. The brick walls provided a safe and sturdy look while the roof was made out of a material he couldn't recognize. Orion opened the brass double door to the building and stepped inside. Marble pillars stood on polished floors bending his reflection into deformed shapes. There were seats spread around the room with plants placed in the corners and in the far middle was a man behind a service counter. Orion's worn leather boots made a sound on the polished floor that vibrated throughout the entire room as he walked to the far end.

The man had orange hair with freckles on his face that somewhat gave him an idiotic appearance. He looked up from rolls of parchment and examined Orion from head to toe.

"One coin service charge please." Orion flicked him the coin and continued down the room. There were hallways that lead to a wide chamber full of other paths to take. Above each path was an inscription of what was in each path. There were many paths but Orion was looking for only one in particular. On the far left was a Fantasy path with sub categories listed under it. Magic, Elves, Dwarves, Dragons, and Ghosts where piled over the hallway. Orion entered the corridor and walked into a room full of weapons and pictures full of wonderful paintings. There were hundreds of trinkets lined up behind glass making beautiful display cases. The walls and ceiling were a deep blue like they were made of sapphire. He thought maybe he could find out what kind of person he was chasing by finding out what kind of stone he found.

Amazed by all the shining objects, Orion didn't even notice a withered old man until he coughed into his sleeve. He was definitely old, yet he could tell that time didn't weaken him to his full extent. He had dark eyebrows that rested on top of solid blue eyes. Lines on his face gave him a sad and tired appearance, yet his eyes looked fierce and keen. Finally Orion saw what he was looking at, there was a sapphire scale beneath a show case, it glittered blue in the light, a color so rare and beautiful he made and oath to never forget it.

"Do you come here often?" The question startled Orion; he forgot he was even in a room.

The old man smiled, "It really puts you into a trance doesn't it?"

"Huh? Ugh, yea I guess it does…" He did have trouble taking his gaze off of the shiny object; it was like tearing away a part of his spirit.

"A dragon's scale must be the second fairest thing in Alagaesia."

"Don't you mean Algesa?" The old man stared at the ground for a moment before answering.

"Yes, of course, my mistake. So is this your first time here?"

"Kind of… my name's Orion." He bit his lip and cursed himself for letting his tongue slip.

"Why don't you come with me, I've been here as many times as the founder himself." They started to walk and look at all the displays and pictures. "The first thing you should know is that everything in this room is real. Some of it is a little twisted, changed, to keep people from knowing the truth. They kept walking until they came up to a wall that had a row of stones behind glass. They each looked like the stone Orion found on the night of the fire. The thought of it made a knot in his throat.

"These, are gemstones and jewels, or anything else that can hold energy."

"These gems can hold energy?" Orion was puzzled by his own question.

"Yes, but to understand you have to know what it was like long ago. A couple of hundred years ago magic was everywhere, it was all around us. What enabled you to use this magic was your own strength and your knowledge of the ancient language. The ancient language was a vocabulary that gave you the power to manipulate the magic that was all around you. There were words for everything, fire, water, air, earth, they were all there. But in order to use the word and the magic you had to be able reach for the energy inside of you, which was a rare talent that only got harder with age. People soon found out that they could store energy into gems and jewels which they could use later. So after years sped by, the ancient language was forgotten. But we were smart enough to harness the power of the magic into the gems themselves, this technique was too, long forgotten. Only the elves know the technique, but the ancient language itself, is probably lost beyond return." His eyes grew full of grief and he fell silent.

Unsure of what to say, Orion asked another question. "If the elves are real, where are they? And if magic is stored inside the gems how do you use them?

The old man looked up and smiled. "Full of questions I see, we'll just have to answer each one then. The elves, or what they are traditionally called, the wood folk, are one with the land of Algesa, even though they weren't its first inhabitants."

"Who were?"

"More questions I see! The old man grumbled.

"Sorry"

"Now if you let me get back to my story, the elves weren't the first inhabitants of Algesa, dragons and dwarves were. Dragons are still the founders of Algesa as they are one with the land more so than the elves.

"Where did the elves come from?"

"The elves came from the sea on their silver ships. Only they know where they are originally from."

"Where are they, the dwarves, dragons, and elves?"

"The dwarves are hidden underground, as they are natural diggers and craftsmen. The elves once again are hidden in the forests, as for the dragons, is even a mystery to me. One thing I know, they happen to show up when everything seems to be lost."

"What of the gemstones? You never said how to use them."

"To use the gemstones, you would have to have the special talent one needed long ago. If you possessed this talent, the user would hold the gem in his/her hand, and would release the magic out of it."

"It sounds easy."

"Oh but it wasn't," reassured the old man. "It was a painstaking process to get comfortable with. Besides that, there are three rules you have to follow in order to use magic. The first one is that you need energy to either use, or release magic from an item. After that you would use more energy to redirect and change how you're using it. The second rule is a matter of how much energy you use. Everyone has a limit."

"Where do you get this energy?"

"The energy need to use magic came from the user. If you used up to much and you pass your limit, the penalty is death. So don't try doing something so difficult that might kill you, especially when you even know your own strength! They started walking again and were looking at a picture of an elf using magic. Flashes of light glittered off the painting; colors swirled around the elf's palm. After a moment or two he took a deep breath and continued on.

"The third rule is that you can't start off with all the power in the world. The only way of learning magic is by first using a gemstone. After practice and familiarizing yourself with how it is done, you need more practice and skill to be able to use the magic around you. Only the most powerful can do this."

"I just don't see how you could get stronger when you're limited by stones."

"Think of it in a simpler matter. Take sword fighting for an example, when someone teaches you how to spar, that would be like retrieving magic from a gemstone because it's easier. When you first swing a sword, you've used magic for the first time. When you make up your own moves, you learn to manipulate the magic around you. when you practice, build up your skills, you have began to get accustomed to using magic freely. After that, practice will only make you stronger."

"It sounds like everyone was well matched. How did one grew stronger than another?" He stared at him blankly.

"Weren't you listing boy? Two simple words, practice and skill, practice made you more powerful, while your skill determined how fast you practiced."

"Alright then," Orion said with a grin, while still unsure of the whole process "tell me about dragons."

Smiling from the request, the old man led him towards another part of the room. Rigid on the marble floor were cobble stone statues shaped as dragons. They towered over them like gigantic beasts who were about to claim their next feast. While the statues lacked color, the physical detail of the art surpassed the beauty of any other thing he had ever seen. Each scale, tooth, and vein had been carved into the stone, giving it a life like appearance. Carved into the base of the statue was an inscription in a language Orion never saw before. Paintings of dragons littered the wall in front of them.

The old man was about to start just as something grabbed his attention. Unaware of what was happening; Orion looked up and saw his guide looking at the back of the room. Past sculptures, paintings, and statues was a tall man wearing a black cloak. The two men glared at each other with a feel of outmost distaste.

"Run boy"

"What?"

"Get out of here you fool!"

With out hesitating, Orion jolted to the back of the room right as a pillar collapsed in a frenzy of green light. Debris flew everywhere, wrecking the room and hitting Orion straight on the chest. Breath blown away, he staggered to get up as the ceiling started to collapse. He looked for any signs of the two men but all he saw were streams of light coming out of the dust. He spotted an exit and went into a full out run as a section of the ceiling cave in. Rocks and pieces of the foundations pelted him as he ran for the door. He slid under a broken pillar and dove through the doorway while with one voice, the entire foundation ruptured and collapsed on itself, shaking the ground like a comet strike. Dust and debris pushed out of any opening and covered the ground like an ash covered graveyard. The resemblance was horrifying.

He lay there for a couple of minutes, dazed from all the action. He finally forced himself to get up and started to search through the ruble when he remembered he was the one that they were after. Fury and rage built up inside of him, but he knew he couldn't fight when his enemies were capable of bringing down a whole museum.

Cursing himself, Orion ran behind buildings and didn't stop until he reached the Inn. The sun was high in the sky, but he still managed to get past any gazing eyes. He gently opened the door to the Inn and saw another hooded man at the counter. The bartender met his eyes and he pointed at him.

"Aye, that's the kid you're looking for. Right over there." The response was a deathly chill.

'Thanksssssssss."

Orion bolted up right and ran like a frightened deer. _There are more of those people? Or what if it was the same one?_

Questions swirled up inside of Orion as he dashed through the streets. After a moment he stopped to look behind him and gasped when he saw him again.He had no legs and he was still gaining on him. The thing that was chasing him hovered a few inches above the ground and sped at him at an amazing rate. It shoved people to the ground when someone got in its way.

Petrified, Orion couldn't gaze away. Flashes of death and agony swirled in his mind. A wind blew through the city that carried the stench of death. There was a noise somewhere in the city that made it look away. Suddenly Orion regained control and finally broke free of its gaze. His head pounded and sweat poured down his brow, but he barely managed to get on his feet.

He bolted down another alley. His legs pounded. His head throbbed with every heart beat. His skin was clammy and cold as he sweat. He was about to give up when he turned a corner and ran into Vincent.

They slammed into each other at full speed, banging their heads on the ground. Orion groaned from all the pain and tried to look around.

The figure in the cloak came from out of the alley and started towards them. It pulled out a dagger with flesh blood already dripping off the tip.

Vincent was the first one up, and with a small curse he lifted up a bow, nocked an arrow and released it. There was a blood curtailing screech as the monster was struck. Orion clasped his hands over his ears and screamed. The sound was unbearable! With a grunt he managed to face the beast as it perished. Vincent had struck it in the middle of the black hole that was in the hood. With another shriek, a strong wind blew at them and the being turned into darkness that floated into the updraft like ashes.

Orion's back ached with pain as Vincent helped him up off the hard ground. With gratitude he finally managed to let something out through sharp gasps of air.

"I like your bow."

"Thanks, it's yours." Orion shook his head.

"How did you find me?" Vincent looked around impatiently.

"I'll tell you later, now we need to get a safe distance away from this place." They both agreed and went for the front gates.

"Wait," Orion stopped, "They will certainly stop us if we pass the guards." Vincent hid a grin.

"Don't worry; I have that taken care of. Just follow me." He led them towards a weak section of the well and uncovered a bush that was in front of hole. It was just big enough for them to get through. Sentries guarded the walls. As a bell rang extra archers poured out of the walls and began to search for them.

Without talking or even looking at each other, they ran for half a league before they stopped and sat for rest behind a small hill. They both fell and stood still on the ground.

"Don't get comfortable just yet," Said Vincent, "These guys don't give up on a chase. You can ask all the thieves in their cells if you don't believe me."

Orion sighed, "I would believe any thing right now." He looked up, rolling hills curved all around them giving off a feeling of being trapped and secure at the same time. He waited a few more moments to catch his breath, and then asked his question. "Who were those people? What's happening?" Vincent stared at him cautiously before answering.

"What happened," he said with a frown, "Was a farmer boy who came to town and screwed everything up."


	5. Duel Paths

**Dual Paths**

Orion faltered, unable to speak. "What?" Vincent thought for a moment and then answered without looking him in the face.

"Well you see, "Ever since I met you in the alley, weird stuff has been happening. You're different then anyone else."

"What happened?"

"After the day I beat you in the sparring competition, these weird black cloaked men started showing up around town. I didn't know who they were so I decided to try and find out. I woke up early and went to the Inn because that was where I saw most of them. Strange enough, one of them was looking for me. It tried to convince me to come with it but I kept refusing, so after a time he grabbed my arm and shoved me out of the bar. At that point I knew something was wrong so I ran until I slammed into you. Vincent sighed; his breath was visible in the cold air. What happened to you?"

Orion recalled what he had learned from the mysterious old man and told him all about what happened that day but he still kept the burned down house to himself. There was a brief period where they sat together, looking at the stars that were slowly taking over the sky. The air grew colder and the sound of a squad full of weapons preserved them to keep on running. Orion looked back, the glow of lanterns were visible in the thick cloud that surrounded them. They managed to run up a steep hill and stopped at the top.

Orion's lungs hurt from the sharp coldness, his lungs felt frozen. There were icicles forming on Vincent's bangs. Bewildered and chilled they tried to keep going. Orion ran in front but stopped when a deformed arm came out of the mist and grabbed Vincent's shoulder. He yelled as he was dragged back into the clouds, "Orion!"

Through several sharp pangs of ice cold air, Orion ran towards him. He tripped over a frozen rock and slid down the side of a hill that was encased in ice. He reached the bottom and flipped as he hit more rocks. His pack flew off, sending his rocks a couple of feet in front of him.

His face was scratched and bruised, but he managed to look up. The mist cleared in front of him to reveal the hooded monster clutching Vincent with a dagger that was thrust against his throat. It started to talk, "Give ussss the sssstonessss and we will spare your friend, the sound made Orion gag. He staggered upright and picked up the stone, one in each hand, the red in his left, the white in his right palm. The ruby was cold as ice while the white stone was warm, almost as hot as fire. He looked at Vincent and then back at the stones. His eyes were wide like a frightened deer.

Orion flung the ruby, causing the monster to throw Vincent to catch it. A tingling sensation built up inside of Orion that was feeding of the rock. Trying to harness the energy he thrust out his right palm and let it all go. The feeding warmth left his body as a silver beam of light emitted from his palm and incinerated the horror in front of eyes. Just like last time, darkness exploded around them and flew up into the air.

The light started to thin out as Orion's palm stopped glowing. He fell to his knees, exhaustion grabbed at his body from all angles. He closed his eyes and expected to pas out. But something clung to him, like a separate energy that was hidden inside of him. His palm itched as he wondered why he was still awake.

He looked down and his palm and found the rock cracked in half. A squeak vibrated through his body, feeding him warmth. He found the source coming from inside the rock as something was trying to lift the top half of it off. A horn broke through the side of the shell as a wet pair of eyes lifted the top of the egg. There was another squeak and the rock fell apart in a flurry of sparkling membrane. Orion looked down, and saw a white dragon sitting in his palm.


	6. The Joy of Hope

**The Joy of Hope**

A pair of round black eyes fixed on Orion. His mind raced, trying to process what was happening, the rock was actually an egg and a dragon was sitting in his hand. Though it was clear, he still couldn't believe it. _A dragon! _

Four strong legs heaved its body off the ground to stretch its cramped limbs. It shook it self and began to lick off the leftover membrane. Hard scales surrounded the whole being while the underside of its belly was soft and vulnerable. Sharp spikes protruded out of its back that were directly connected its spine. It fanned its wings and began to gently lick them. Its wingspan was twice as long as its body, though it was as big as a new born kitten. Tiny muscles and veins were visible in the thin membrane of the wings. He brushed his finger over the grey translucent wings. It felt rough and smooth and the same time. It hopped off Orion's hand and began to groom clean itself more thoroughly. Instantaneously, the source of his warmth left his body; he lost his balance and staggered to keep his head up.

The dragon eyed him curiously and hopped back onto his hand, its nails almost piercing his skin. Warmth slowly seeped back into body as he gasped from the sudden loss of energy. Hunger started to claw at his belly. He tried to ignore it, but to no avail. He slowly realized he wasn't the one that was hungry, it was the dragon. He could feel what it felt, like a path in his mind had opened up to it, revealing everything in his consciousness. The dragon's mind felt similar, but more clouded and disillusioned.

Vincent got up and looked at him, his eyes wide with fear. He slowly reached for his dagger. Orion picked up the dragon and tried to get a hold on the struggling beast. After it understood that it was safe Orion glared at Vincent carefully.

He was calm but the dragon made his voice sound worried.

"What are you doing?" he continued looking at the dragon and spoke without shifting his gaze.

"You found that during the night of when you first met those "things" didn't you?"

Orion slowly nodded his head. The dragon poked its head out of his hands, looking for food. Vincent switched his gaze on Orion.

"We have to get rid of that thing and you know it" Fear plummeted through both of their minds as Orion tried to think of what to say.

"We can't get rid of it, it saved our lives. If it wasn't for this dragon, we would both be dead right now." Now Vincent grew upset.

"That may be true, but has a thought ever crossed your mind that it tried to kill us instead of," Vincent searched for what to say, "that hell bound demon?" Orion looked down at the dragon. It was nibbling its belly, trying to get all of the membrane off. The truth was he hadn't thought about it.

"It wasn't trying to hurt us." Frustrated, Vincent sighed and gathered up his belongings.

"We can argue about this later. Right now we have to keep on moving before more of those things find us. And unless you can shoot another shiny beam out of your hand again, I suggest we head north. There should be a small village where we can get horses. After that, I don't know."

Content, Orion nodded and retrieved a slice of meat from his pack and waved it in front of the dragon's head. It cautiously sniffed, and then snatched it up, swallowing it whole.

"I hope it won't get too hungry because that was the last of my meat." They walked at a quick pace, trying to outrun the guards. They almost caught them several times, but they soon stopped searching and went back to the city. The moon was high in the sky when they decided to stop.

Vincent pointed at a nearby field that was surrounded by trees. "That looks like a good place to sleep." They quickly made themselves comfortable and thought better as to not start a fire. Orion lay on his back, looking up at the stars. He remembered the old man's words back at the museum. _If a dragon hatched for me, it must have been for a reason… _He drowned himself in his own thoughts, only to be disturbed by something moving on his chest.The dragon stirred, its lipped twitched and its eyelids trembled. He stared at it surprised, _it must be dreaming. _

Trying to suppress a smile, he looked over at Vincent. They stared at each other for a moment before he broke the silence.

"Did you give it a name?"

"Yea, in the museum I read a list of names. Each one had a different meaning. It said that what emotion you felt when a dragon hatched would decide its name."

"And"

"Her name's Velia, named after the emotion of hope." Vincent furrowed his brow.

"How do you know its gender?"

"Boys hatch during the day, girls hatch during the night." Vincent stared at the dragon and smiled.

"Well I have to say Velia; you sure cut that gender thing pretty close." He bade him good night and fell asleep in an instant. Orion looked at her one more time and then closed his eyes. Velia started humming, and they both slept under the stars


End file.
